Container cooling system for presses

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure illustrates a cooling system for an extrusion press having three containers for carrying heated billets, the containers being succeedingly positioned in a number of different stations incident to the operation of the press. In one of these stations, the containers are cooled after extrusion. This cooling is accomplished by supporting a non-rotating but axially movable cooling jacket on the central container hub that carries the containers. Special hose systems connected to the jacket carry the cooling water to and from each container, but it is only the container in the cooling station, if cooling is required, that is cooled. This is performed by providing a valve for each container which is carried by the rotatable containers and which is separately operated when in the cooling station.

United States Patent [191 [111 3,835,685 Kent et al. Sept. 17, 1974 CONTAINER COOLING SYSTEM FOR I [57] ABSTRACT PRESSES Inventors: Francis J. Kent, Wallingford;

George M. Jaworski, Narberth, both of Pa.

Assignee: Wean United, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed: May 10, 1973 Appl. No.: 359,153

US. Cl. 72/263, 72/342 Int. Cl. B2lc 23/00 Field of Search 72/263, 342, 272

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-Robert M. Rogers Patch I I TO CONTAINER ROTATING POSIT ION I SEALING POSITION OONTAINER To AND rnou PUIIP iThe present disclosure illustrates a cooling system for an extrusion press having three containers for carrying heated billets, the containers being succeedingly positioned in a number of different stations incident to the operation of the press. In one of these stations, the ,containers are cooled after extrusion. This cooling is accomplished by supporting a non-rotating but axially {movable cooling jacket on the central container hub that carries the containers. Special hose systems con- ;nected to the jacket carry the cooling water to and lfrom each container, but it is only the container in the lcooling station, if cooling is required, that is cooled. This is performed by providing a valve for each container which is carried by the rotatable containers and which is separately operated when in the cooling statlon.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEPIYIQH (sum 2 or 2 csm'sn EXTRUSION Axus 1 CONTAINER COOLING SYSTEM FOR PRESSES Past proposals for container cooling systems for presses having multiple containers included the employment of means for the cooling of all containers at the same time and for connecting them simultaneously to a common water source. This required very large passageways and hoses not only adding to the expense of manufacture but presented a very cumbersome arrangement. Moreover, it required that each container be cooled by the same quantity of water, and hence, each container was subject to the same degree of cooling. This created a serious disadvantage in otaining the optimum cooling result and efficient use of the coolant medium.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide in a press such as an extrusion, forging or shaping press having multiple containers a container cooling system that will allow for the use of very small passageways and hoses, and one that will permit each container to be cooled individually to the optimuum temperature by the very minimum of coolant medium.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide in such presses a first system for supplying coolant medium to a rotatable supporting hub of the containers, and separate systems for each container connectable to said first system and rotatable with their associated containers, said second systems each including coolant control means, and means arranged in a container coolant station of the press for operating said control means when a container is brought into said station.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide in combination with an extrusion press having a number of billet containers and stations for said containers, including a container cooling station and container carrying means and means for moving the containers as a unit both rotationally about the axis of the carrying means and axially relative thereto; a non rotating coolant jacket surrounding at least a portion of said carrying means in a water-type fashion, a number of water inlet passsageways in said jacket for receiving water under pressure, a number of water outlet passageways in said jacket for carrying water away from said jacket, inlet and outlet hoses connected to said inlet and outlet passageways and corresponding inlets and outlets in each of said containers, valve means arranged in each of said inlet hoses including means for normally closing said valve means, valve operating means located in said container cooling station and so arranged that on its operation it will open said valve of a container positioned in said cooling station.

These objects, as well as other novel features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood when the following description of one embodiment thereof is read along with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a portion of a container, hub and platen of an extrusion press incorporating a container cooling system of the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is an outside view of the cooling systems for the containers of the press shown in FIG. 1.

In referring to FIG. 1, the portions of the elements shown are part of an horizontal extrusion press adapted to extrude hot solid billets into rods and shaped extruded products. The construction of the press follows well-known designs having three equally spaced apart tension columns, one being shown at 10, that extend between the cylinder crosshead of the press, not shown, and the stationary platen, the inner face of which is shown at 12. A die assembly, while not being shown, is arranged on the center extrusion axis of the press, which axis is legend in FIG. 2, against which a container in the extrusion station of the press is brought into a sealing relationship by heavy duty piston cylinder assemblies, the outer end of one of which is shown in FIG. 1 at 14 where it is connected to a crosshead 16 by nuts 18.

Concentric with the tension column 10 there is mounted a hub 20, which is so mounted as to both rotate and move axially of the tension column 10 by virtue of bearings 22 carried by an intermediately supported sleeve 24 arranged around the column 10. The hub 20 has a central portion 26 to which are rigidly secured at radial outward and equally spaced locations three billet containers, one being shown in phantom at 28 in FIG. 1 and all three at 28, 30 and 32 in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 2, the container 28 is shown in an extrusion station, the container 30 in a container cooling station, and the container 32 in a billet loading station. Each container, in the usual fashion, will have a central opening into which is mounted a replaceable liner, not shown. It is desired in order to prolong their usefulness to cool these liners after they have been used to carry and support a heated billet during the extrusion. The hub 20 at its end opposite the crosshead 16 is provided with a rotating driving means generally designated at 34 which can take several well-known forms such as a gear-motor driven unit.

In referring now particularly to the coolant system provided for the containers, as shown in FIG. 1, the hub 20 at its right side is extended axially by a portion 36. This portion is provided with six sets of horizontal passageways 38, two sets being related to each container, one set serving as coolant inlets to the containers, and the other set as coolant outlets from the containers. In FIG. I, the inlets are designated by 40 and the outlets at 42. Concentric with the portion 36 there is arranged a cooling jacket 44 having a coolant inlet opening at 46 and a coolant outlet or return opening at 48; FIG. 1, by legend indicating that these openings are associated with a pump, not shown. The jacket 44 is held against rotation by being connected to the crosshead 16 by a series of bolts 50, the bolts passing into a non-rotating ring 52 which is engaged by opposed wearing rings 54. It will be appreciated that while held against rotational movement, the jacket will move axially relative to the column 10. Additional seals 56 are provided between the outer surface of the portion 36 of the hub and the horizontal inner surface of the cooling jacket 44. The inlet opening 46 and return opening 48 communicate with passageways 58 and 60, respectively, which by virtue of short passageways 62 and 64 allow the coolant, such as water, to run into the passageway 38, and hence, to and from the containers 28, 30 and 32.

In referring again to FIG. 2, thisdrawing, it will be noted, shows a portion of the three containers, in which it will be further appreciated that the container 30 is in the cooling station of the press. Starting with the showing in FIG. 2 of the inlets 40 formed in the portion 36 of the hub 20, these, of which there are three, are each connected to separate valves 66 by hoses 68. These valves are of a well-known quick-opening, self-closing type, the discharge ends of which are connected to their respective containers by hoses 70. The fitting 72 associated with the container ends of the hoses 70 communicate with passageways formed in the containers that allow the coolant to be delivered to the liners of the containers when the containers are in the cooling station.

Turning now to the outlets 42 formed in the portion 36 of the hub 20, these, of which there are again three, are each connected by hoses 74 to outlet openings 76 provided in the containers. As best shown in FIG. 2, when a container, such as the container 30 is in the cooling station of the press, a projecting stem 78 of the valve portion of the valve 66 is brought into a vertical downward extending position with the outer end of the stem 78 being located adjacent to a plunger block 80 connected to the rod end of a stationary mounted piston cylinder assembly 82, the arrangement being such that on operation of the piston cylinder assembly 82, the valve 66, normally forced closed by a spring, will be opened to allow the pressurized fluid to pass to the container 30.

Before leaving FIG. 2, it is important to note that the hub 20 is shown in outline form at 84 which is the position the illustrated elements assume when the hub is being moved axially, the particular axial position of the container during this movement being legended in FIG. 1 as container rotating position. The piston cylinder we consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. In a press having a number of working stations including a container cooling station and a number of hub supported containers succeedingly positionable in said stations,

means for rotating said hub to position said containers in said stations,

a first system for supplyingcoolant medium to said hub,

21 second system for each container connectable to said first system and constructed to be rotatable with their associated containers,

said second systems each including coolant flow control means, and

means arranged in said container cooling station for operating said flow control means when a container is brought to said cooling station to allow the coolant of said first system to cool said container in said cooling station.

2. In a press according to claim 1, wherein said first system includes a coolant jacket arranged concentric with said hub in a coolant sealing fashion, and

means for holding said jacket against rotation relative to said rotating hub.

3. In a press according to claim 1, wherein each of said second systems include delivery and return hoses for connecting said second systems to said first systems assembly 82 offers no interference to the rotation of and wherein said flow control means comprises valve the hub, and hence, the containers since as shown in FIG. 2, the cylinder assembly 82 is located at this time to one side of the hub. After the hub has been rotated to position the containers in the desired stations and the hub and containers moved axially to the extrusiondie sealing position, which is also legended in FIG. 1, the valve 66 assumes the full line position with respect to the cylinder 68 as shown in FIG. 2.

The operation of the piston cylinder assembly 82 may means arranged in said delivery hoses.

4. In a press according to claim 3, wherein said valve means is characterized as being self-closing and wherein said valve operating means includes a reciprocating means arranged to open a valve of a container when in said cooling station.

5. In a press according to claim 4, wherein said reciprocating means comprises a piston cylinder assembly and wherein said valve means includes projecting stems be controlled by a heat sensitive device, such as a radiawhich are engageable by said piston cylinder assembly tion pyrometer 84, shown schematically in FIG. 2, which will be trained to measure the temperature of the liner and initiate the opening of the valve 66 if the temperature level of the liner so requires it and maintain the valve opened until the desired cooling of the container liner is accomplished. In this way, not only will the container be subject to the proper amount of coolant, but each container is given individual coolant treatment, in which the size of the passageways in the hub and jacket and the size of the hoses, as well as the quantity of the coolant needed, are kept to a very minimum.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principles and operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what when a container is in said cooling station to open the valve associated with said container, and

means for stationarily supporting said piston cylinder assembly in said cooling station.

6. In a press according to claim 1, including means for rotating said containers succeedingly into said cooling station when in a selected axial position wherein the said containers move free of said flow control operating means, and

means for axially positioning said containers to so position the containers axially that the flow control means of a container in said cooling station is brought into a position to be operated on by said operating means. 

1. In a press having a number of working stations including a container cooling station and a number of hub supported containers succeedingly positionable in said stations, means for rotating said hub to position said containers in said stations, a first system for supplying coolant medium to said hub, a second system for each container connectable to said first system and constructed to be rotatable with their associated containers, said second systems each including coolant flow control means, and means arranged in said container cooling station for operating said flow control means when a container is brought to said cooling station to allow the coolant of said first system to cool said container in said cooling station.
 2. In a press according to claim 1, wherein said first system includes a coolant jacket arranged concentric with said hub in a coolant sealing fashion, aNd means for holding said jacket against rotation relative to said rotating hub.
 3. In a press according to claim 1, wherein each of said second systems include delivery and return hoses for connecting said second systems to said first systems and wherein said flow control means comprises valve means arranged in said delivery hoses.
 4. In a press according to claim 3, wherein said valve means is characterized as being self-closing and wherein said valve operating means includes a reciprocating means arranged to open a valve of a container when in said cooling station.
 5. In a press according to claim 4, wherein said reciprocating means comprises a piston cylinder assembly and wherein said valve means includes projecting stems which are engageable by said piston cylinder assembly when a container is in said cooling station to open the valve associated with said container, and means for stationarily supporting said piston cylinder assembly in said cooling station.
 6. In a press according to claim 1, including means for rotating said containers succeedingly into said cooling station when in a selected axial position wherein the said containers move free of said flow control operating means, and means for axially positioning said containers to so position the containers axially that the flow control means of a container in said cooling station is brought into a position to be operated on by said operating means. 